In this football language post we explain the expression ‘to part ways’ which is used to describe the situation when a manager is asked to leave a club. Don’t forget we have hundreds more explanations of football language in our football glossary and we also have a page full of football cliches. If you have questions or comments about this or any other phrase then email us at: admin@languagecaster.com.
Football Language: Part Ways
The life of a football manager is never really 100% secure or certain so there is quite a lot of language that we can use to describe when a manager leaves a club. For example, we can say that a manager is out of a job or sacked, fired, dismissed, left by mutual consent or that they got the boot. Another phrase to describe this situation apeared in the news this week when Inter Miami CF manager (and former England Women’s Team manager) Phil Neville ‘parted ways‘ with the club. The official announcement from the club simply wrote ‘Club has parted ways with Phil Neville’. This meaning suggests that there was a disagreement between the two parties or sides and that this disagreement is the reason for the separation. It also suggests that the decision was taken by both sides but in this case it doesn’t really feel like that, particularly when the team are bottom of the Eastern Conference after losing 10 of 13 matches.
Of course, another interesting point is that the owner of the club is Neville’s former Manchester United team mate David Beckham. Maybe this is why the club used the term ‘part ways‘ rather than sacked or dismissed? Another way of saying this is ‘part company‘ – again, this suggests that there was no hard feelings but I am not sure that Thomas Tuchel felt this way after being fired from Chelsea – again, the official club statement used this term: ‘Chelsea Football Club part company with Thomas Tuchel’
- Example: Leicester City and Brendan Rodgers part ways with club in relegation zone (Evening Standard, April 2 2023)
- Example: Hartlepool United Football Club parts way with manager Graeme Lee (ITV.com 6 May 2023)
Club has parted ways with Phil Neville
The team has also announced that it has parted ways with Assistant Coach Jason Kreis. Inter Miami CF Assistant Coach Javier Morales will assume the role as Interim Head Coach effective immediately, while Assistant Coach Darren Powell,a€¦ pic.twitter.com/0vcrIpeZb8 a€” Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) June 1, 2023
Related Links
Learn English Through Football Podcast: A show for football fans to improve their English language skills
